Stolen Memories
by f.m. kit kat
Summary: Ichigo is a thief who happens to have an animal spirit called an ikimono. One night, when coming home from a job he is kidnapped and sold to Aizen who 'collects' ikimono. What happens when Ichigo meets a certain albino who's also been imprisoned by Aizen?
1. Chapter 1: alley

Summary: Ichigo is a thief with an animal spirit (called an ikimono). One day, Ichigo gets kidnapped and sold on the black market to Aizen, a man who 'collects' ikimono. What happens when Ichigo meets a certain albino who is also trapped in Aizen's mansion? AU IchiShiro onesided AizenShiro

Explanation:

So, this story takes place in the Bleach world, minus the shinigamis and hollows. In it, there are people who have an 'animal spirit', which basically means they have certain physical traits of an animal that they can make appear or disappear at will (i.e. ears, tails, claws, fangs, etc.). They're kinda like +anima or sex pistols if you've ever read/watched those manga/anime series. There aren't many ikimono in the wold. Side not: according to the online Japanese translator, ikimono means animal or living creatures. So, on with the story!

Pairings: ShiroxIchigo, one sided AizenxShiro

Warnings: none

Disclaimer: I own only the plot and my OCs, Tite Kubo owns everything else.

Chapter 1: alley

Ichigo walked down the street silently, letting the wails and honks of the city night soothe his tense muscles. He almost managed to calm himself completely, but the image of a certain blonde poorly shaven shop keeper popped into his head. The characteristic frown that always donned his face deepened and he clenched his hands in his pockets.

The deal had gone south fast and Urahara hadn't seemed to notice. The antique pocket watch he had busted his ass to get ended up being sold for only half of what it should have gone for. What the hell had been wrong with Urahara today? He had only half paid attention, as if whatever was on his mind kept yanking him away from the deal.

Ichigo gritted his teeth in frustration. That was a month's worth of rent down the toilet. Now he would have to steal something else to make up the difference. He usually wasn't one to start a fight. That was, unless someone pissed him off, which a certain shopkeeper had managed to do quite successfully. But at the moment, he wanted nothing more than to find someone to take out his frustrations on, especially if that person happened to be blonde.

A siren wailed in the distance, adding to the symphony of evening traffic clogging the roads. It was this time of night that made Ichigo glad he didn't own a car. The yellow streetlights flickered to life, casting a gentle glow on the orange spikes of hair that jutted out from under his white hoodie. In an attempt to prevent himself from picking a fight with some stranger, he focused on the steady beat of his worn out high-tops. Everything seemed in tune with the usual hustle and bustle of the waning evening. Until the hair on the back of his neck rose.

Ichigo's eyes narrowed, but he forced his outward appearance to remain calm and relaxed. Someone was stalking him. He could feel the animalistic predatory intent with all his senses, and his senses, his instincts, were never wrong. Well, he had wanted a fight to take out his frustrations and here it was.

Ichigo crossed the street at the next intersection and headed in the opposite direction as his apartment. The last thing he wanted was to lead whoever this creep was to where he lived. It wasn't the first time someone had followed him. Being a thief had the tendency to make you fairly unpopular, unless someone wanted something they couldn't obtain through strictly legal means.

He concentrated on the uneasy feeling he was getting, trying to pinpoint it. It wasn't law enforcement; they had a more professional feel to them. Ichigo frowned. No, this person's style was more casual, like they didn't really care if he noticed them or not. That sparked Ichigo's temper. If whoever was following him thought they could handle him on their own, they were dead wrong. He may be a thief, but he knew his way around fighting, especially with a knife. It was a necessary skill for survival in his line of work. He could take care of himself no matter who this bastard thought he was.

Ichigo saw an alley that was one of his usual haunts and turned down it. Now that he was in his territory it was time to see who his stalker was. He glanced at the brightly colored graffiti that decorated the dirty brick as he walked halfway between the entrance of the alley and the high chain link fence that divided the alley in half. He turned to face whoever was following him.

A thin man stood in the mouth of the alley and stopped. Ichigo's frowned deepened as he tried to asses his threat level. He was slouching slightly with his hands in his pockets. His hair was spiky like Ichigo's own, but shorter and sand colored. He eyed Ichigo with dangerous golden orange eyes, very similar to Ichigo's brown amber ones. A devilish smile played across the other man's face. Ichigo narrowed his eyes. This guy had to be an ikimono, a human who had an animal spirit. Ichigo was one, a cheetah, and found it somewhat unsettling to be facing one. Ikimono were fairly rare and usually left each other alone.

"What do you want," Ichigo asked casually, never taking his eyes off the man before him. The man's feral smile widened, revealing two sharp canine teeth.

"I want you," he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. A chill ran up Ichigo's spine. He ignored it, forcing himself to stay calm and focused.

"Sorry pal, but I don't swing that way," he retorted venomously. Sure, lately he'd discovered that his sexuality might not be exclusively centered towards girls, but that was the last thing this creep needed to know.

"Ooh. Testy," the guy responded mockingly, "Lucky for you, I'm not looking for a boyfriend."

"Then what do you-," Ichigo was cut off as he answered.

"I'm a black dealer."

That was all it took. Ichigo spun around and took off toward the fence that split the alley in half. Black dealers were people who illegally sold ikimono to the highest bidder. The thought that an ikimono could be one shook him to his core. The wind from his sprint knocked his hood off his head, revealing his spiky orange hair. Good. The hood would only block his peripheral vision if it came down to a fight. Ichigo tensed his muscles and sprang upward as he closed in on the fence. His hands took hold of the metal and he used his momentum to vault the rest of the way over the fence with practiced ease. He rolled as he hit the ground and back onto his feet. He turned and looked at the strange man through the chain links. The black dealer hadn't moved. Maybe following Ichigo over the fence didn't seem worth it.

"So long," Ichigo said grimly, giving the black dealer a one-finger salute in farewell. The man just grinned wider. Ichigo only had a second to wonder what he was up to before his instincts kicked in and threw his body to the side to avoid a blow dealt from behind.

"Wow," commented the sandy haired man, "Testy with good reflexes."

Ichigo bared his teeth when he heard the grin in the man's voice. He recovered himself and snatched his black and white dagger Zangetsu from the sheath belted to his leg. He had to dodge another punch from his attacker as he turned to face him. How had this second guy snuck up on him? He didn't have time to ponder it as he was forced to dodge more attacks.

Adrenaline sung through his body, making every movement look sharper and more defined. It was like someone had thrown a bucket of ice water on him to wake him up. More blows were thrown at him, which he managed to dodge or block. There were now three people on his side of the fence, two of which were currently backing him into a corner. Ichigo growled. It was time for him to go on the offensive.

He lunged at the larger of the two attackers, hoping the man's size would give him a speed advantage. A loud clack resounded through the alley. Ichigo's eyes widened as he realized his dagger had been stopped by a tortoise shell that had materialized over the large man's belly.

Gimme a break!, Ichigo thought distractedly, Are all these guys ikimono?

He was wrenched from his thoughts when his smaller attacker took advantage of his distracted state, grabbing the hood of his sweat shirt and using it to hurl him around and into a wall. It took all of Ichigo's concentration not to let go of Zangetsu as he slammed into the dirty brick. His vision wavered for a moment before his head cleared again. A sharp click from farther down the alley to his right caught his attention and he looked to see the third man that had been watching the fighting pointing a gun at him.

"Now, now. None of that. We don't want to have to hurt you," the man with the gun said calmly.

Ichigo froze for a moment. It was a bad move to make. Pain exploded in his ribs as someone kicked him. Hard. He gasped for air as someone pulled his arms behind his back. They clenched his wrists painfully until he was forced to drop Zangetsu. Ichigo struggled as he heard two more clicks from handcuffs being snapped around his wrists. His stomach dropped when he thought about how final those clicks had sounded. How the hell was he going to get out of this one?

This was obviously a well-trained team. Why would they come after him? How had they even known he was an ikimono? He'd never told anyone. Ichigo was dragged to his feet roughly and propelled toward the end of the alley. Over his shoulder he caught a brief glimpse of the sandy haired ikimono giving him the farewell salute he had given him not a few minutes earlier. Fear gripped Ichigo as he caught sight of a sleek black car blocking the end of the alley they were heading towards.

Adrnaline crashed through his system once again. He was not getting in that car. His leg swept backwards, catching whoever was forcing him forward by surprise. Ichigo felt the man's grip loosen on his arms and took off like a shot towards the end of the alley.

The only thing left in his way was the guy with the gun. The gun had caused him to freeze before, but now that his head was clear he remembered this wasn't a job, but a kidnapping. If they damaged him in any major way, they wouldn't be able to sell him for as high a price. The gunman yelled at Ichigo to stop, warning him that he'd shoot if he didn't. Ichigo didn't buy it. Besides, there were worse things than being shot and being sold like livestock was at the top of the list.

A thick arm crashed around Ichigo's waist from behind, interrupting his thoughts and pinning him to someone's chest. His eyes widened and something snapped inside him. Full on panic surged through his body and he started to struggle violently against the hold on him.

"Get him to the car," someone snapped.

Ichigo dug his heels into the asphalt as he was pushed slowly to the car. The man he had kicked before came to help get him to the car. Ichigo kicked out violently as he approached and managed to land his foot between the man's legs. He let out a howl of pain and fell to the ground. The man forcing him to the car wrapped his other arm around his throat. Ichigo gasped as he struggled to breathe and tried to bite into the man's arm. He wasn't above fighting dirty if it meant survival.

The gunman opened the black car door for them when they reached it. Ichigo was tossed unceremoniously into the back seat, followed by the gunman and the large turtle ikimono. He scrambled to the other door, but it was locked before he could even try to push it open. Ichigo bared his teeth and sprang at the two men in the back seat, fully intending to sink his rapidly growing canine teeth into them since his claws were currently handcuffed behind his back. He was not going down without a fight.

The car squealed away suddenly, throwing Ichigo sideways against the back seat. He snarled as someone pinned him down. There was a drawn out ripping sound before a large piece of duct tape was pressed over his mouth. He tried desperately to thrash out from being pinned, but couldn't move under the weight of his restrainer.

"A real fighter, this one," said one of the men, "we'll have to be careful not to lose him."

xXx

Ichigo lay still for the rest of the car ride. Even though he had stopped thrashing around in an attempt for freedom the grip on him hadn't loosened at all. They weren't taking any more chances with him. Well, at least they're taking me seriously now, Ichigo thought grimly. Between his sore ribs, the crushing weight on his back, and the duct tape over his mouth, he was finding it increasingly hard to breathe. He silently prayed they would reach their destination soon before he suffocated.

He felt the car lurch to a stop a little while later. The driver got out and a second later Ichigo heard the door behind him open. Damn it. These guys were getting smarter about how to handle him. Open the door that wouldn't allow him to plunge straight toward an exit. The huge man pinning him down carefully changed his hold on him so he could drag him out of the car. The fear that had washed over Ichigo before came at him in a second wave as he took in a spacious warehouse filled with large cages.

Adrenaline pulsed through his veins and reality seemed to shift out of focus. He was vaguely aware of thrashing against his captor, of claws and fangs ripping fabric. More body weight was added to the force already trying to subdue him. It only made Ichigo struggle harder. A strong burning sensation snapped his attention to his chest where his lungs were struggling to take in gasps of oxygen through his nose alone due to the duck tape covering his mouth. His panic increased, causing his lungs to hyperventilate further, while his struggling weakened with the lack of oxygen. His already hazy surroundings dimmed and his vision flickered in and out of blackness. His abused body continued to struggle against the inevitable. His eyes slipped shut and he to fell into the darkness that was waiting to claim him.


	2. AN

**Hello everyone! This isn't an update, but fear not! I've decided to switch to working on this story for a while and I have the next two chapters almost done. I have a question though before I upload them. Do you guys like Ichi and Shiro being foxes or should I change them to being another orange animal. The reason I ask is because I'm not sure if I like the idea of there being three foxes in the story (the third being Gin).**

**So my question to you is should I change them to being another orange animal or should I leave them be? Maybe Aizen just has a thing for foxes... Besides the three fox repetitiveness, I'm not sure if a fox fits Ichi's personality as well as another animal could but maybe I'm over thinking it. Let me know what you think and answer the poll on my profile! Thanks, Hopefully I'll get this story updated soon! Sorry for the wait! :D **


	3. Chapter 2: buyer

Stolen Memories

**A/N: Sorry it's been so long. Please don't kill me for the long update. I just wanted to thank you guys for reviewing and answering my poll about what animals Shiro and Ichi should be. You guys helped me out a lot! I couldn't do this fanfic without you! Most of you wanted tigers, but after much deliberation I went with cheetahs. I agree they should be cats, but to me cheetahs fit them better because they're both of a slender/elegant/small build and their fighting style seems to revolve a lot around agility and speed rather than a big powerful build and brute strength. Hope you guys are ok with that. Well, enjoy the update and on with the story! :D**

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><p><span>Chapter 2: buyer<span>

**Pairings:** ShiroxIchigo, one sided AizenxShiro, one sided AizenxIchigo

**Warnings:** none

**Disclaimer:** I own only the plot, Tite Kubo owns everything else.

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><p>Shiro lounged on the top of one of the two intact walls of the ruined cottage that had once stood in the middle of this dense forest. Seeing as no one occupied it now, not that they really could in its current condition, he had taken it over as his territory. He needed a safe haven from the mansion, not that he was safe anywhere on the estate but at least the bastard left him alone here, mostly. The seamless shiny black collar around his throat tightened for a second or two then loosened to its previous size. A snarl rumbled in Shiro's chest at the silent summons and he felt his fangs elongate slightly with the need to sink them into a certain person's throat.<p>

Grumbling to himself, Shiro slid off the old white stone wall and slunk off between the trees. Despite his disgruntled trudge, he still moved with the silent grace only matched by others of his kind. He wasn't going to be the tame pet Aizen wanted him to be, broken and obedient, but if he ignored the summons he would simply be choked by the collar until unconscious and then brought to Aizen anyway, and unconscious was something you didn't want to be around Aizen. The albino shuttered as he remembered waking up after the first time he'd ignored a summons to find himself chained to a bed, completely defenseless and at the brunette's mercy. He'd tried ignoring a summons once more, hiding before passing out in the hopes he wouldn't be found, but it was useless. Aizen, or more likely Aizen's men, had found him anyway and he had woken up once again to find himself at the brunette's mercy. Aizen had told him later that such a stunt was futile because Shiro's collar also contained a tracker that transmitted the albino's location wherever he went. The brunette had been rather smug while divulging that little fun fact. Shiro's fists tightened at the memory. One of these days he would escape Aizen's grasp.

All too soon the huge white mansion loomed before him once more, dominating the natural peace of the trees in a suppressing show of power. Shiro forced his spiteful scowl to be replaced with his usual psychotic grin. Aizen may have physical control over him for now, but, much to the brunette's vexation, he couldn't control his spirit. Shiro knew he would probably lose, but if he could get a rise out of the God wannabe then even as he lay at the man's feet, the victory would be his. And so went their game of cat and mouse.

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><p>Ichigo was curled up under a warm pile of blankets with no intention of moving anytime soon. However, Urahara would probably find some obnoxious and, undoubtably loud, way to wake him up soon anyway. The blonde shopkeeper by day, fencer by night, had already come up with a device that set off a siren-like wail whenever he got in a job for Ichigo. The damn thing wouldn't shut up until he was out the door and headed for the shop. How Urahara knew when to shut it off was a mystery to the carrot top, though he had a sneaking suspicion it involved something illegal and few major breaches in privacy. He'd given up trying to figure out the man's methods long ago, deciding he'd rather not know how the blonde seemed to know a little bit about everything. Tolerating Urahara's quirky habits were just part of doing business with him.<p>

Might as well get up now before that damn hat and clogs ruins my morning, Ichigo thought drowsily. He let out a long yawn and stretched languidly before opening sleepy amber eyes. The bright morning sunshine that usually streamed across the ceiling of his bedroom was replaced by thick steel bars, and beyond that, a half rusted crisscrossing rebar ceiling. Ichigo jolted into a sitting position and looked around wildly, all sleep thrown from his mind as he fought to get his bearings. He was sitting in a large cage in an old warehouse. This was definitely not his bedroom, or his apartment for that matter. The events from the night before flashed through his mind in rapid succession, awakening his various bruises: the blown deal, being pissed at Urahara, that creepy ikimono, being kidnapped. Shit.

"So you're finally awake sleeping beauty," said a voice that had the hair on the back of his neck standing up instantly. He turned toward it, eyes narrowing.

"Who the hell do you think you're calling sleeping beauty," he growled at the sandy haired man who had been the first to confront him last night. The cocky grin on the man's face only widened as he strolled over to Ichigo's cage.

"So how are ya feeling," the other ikimono asked when he reached the bars separating him from the furious red head. Ichigo clenched his teeth, eyes narrowing into deadly slits and taking on a fierce golden edge.

"How am I feeling," he asked incredulously, standing up abruptly to glare at the other man, though he was shorter than him. "Why don't you let me out of this cage and I'll show you exactly how I'm feeling." His voice vibrated with the undertone of a snarl. The sandy haired man shrugged uncaringly.

"I need to know if you were injured last night. If so, it'll bring down your price significantly." Ichigo's hand flew to Zangetsu's sheath on his leg as he usually did when someone was pissing him off. It was empty. His glare intensified.

"What did you do with my dagger," he snapped. The man raised an eyebrow.

"You mean this," he asked innocently, holding up Zangetsu. "If I remember correctly, you were the one who dropped it in the alley." He absently turned Zangetsu over in his hand, then dangled it teasingly between his fingers in front of the enraged red head.

Ichigo felt his canine teeth turn into slender needles. No way in hell was he gonna let this prick taunt him like this! It was bad enough he had ended up in this mess in the first place, but he was not about to make it worse by leaving his beloved weapon in the hands of this asshole.

"Give it back," he snarled, lunging his arm through the bars of the cage to grab the dagger out of the ikimono's hand. The taller man didn't move, his sadistic smile growing wider. He had been careful to dangle Zangetsu just out of the orangette's reach. What he hadn't counted on was Ichigo's fingernails shooting into long white claws that sliced through his hand. He let out a sharp yelp, releasing Zangetsu. Ichigo dove to grab the dagger from where it clattered on the floor. The sandy haired man was faster though, swiftly kicking the dagger across the room, where it skittered out of reach. Ichigo snapped his teeth and yowled in frustration. He'd been so close!

Now that the threat of Ichigo getting a weapon was gone, the man above him howled in pain, swearing a rainbow as he cradled his bloody hand. Ichigo smirked. Served his ass right. The man caught the smug look on his face and anger flared in his pain-filled eyes. He turned on Ichigo swiftly, violent intent etched into his features.

"Your gonna pay for that," he snapped. Ichigo tensed, his claws elongating in a silent threat.

"Suna. That's enough," a cold voice stated from across the warehouse. The sandy haired ikimono whirled around to face an older man who was approaching them, authority and control emanating from his every step. He had black hair and grey eyes that seemed to bore into you with a steely edge. "I'm disappointed in you. I thought you were smarter than Hebi. He let that ikimono get the drop on him twice." An image of his foot landing in-between the shorter of his two attackers' legs flashed in Ichigo's mind and he grinned smugly.

Suna looked away from the man in front of him angrily and stormed over to collect Zangetsu from where it had come to a stop against a large wooden crate. Ichigo scowled as the blonde ikimono picked up his dagger.

"Hey! Give my dagger back dammit," he snapped. The older man who had just entered the room gave him a cold look.

He said calmly, "I believe you just displayed why we confiscated your dagger in the first place. You would injure my men and I will not allow that to happen. Your dagger will be given to whoever buys you. It will be up to them to decide if and when you get it back." Suna growled, still holding his injured hand to his chest.

"Whoever gives any weapons to this one is askin' to be mauled," he spat derisively. The man frowned at Suna.

"Why don't you go get your hand taken care of. I'll have someone else take your watch. We have a customer coming in later to look at him and a slashed up hand as evidence of his temper is not going to make him look appealing." Said ikimono's temper snapped. Who the hell did these people think they were?

"What do you mean a customer's coming in to look at me? I'm not some animal you can sell! I'm a person dammit," he yelled at the man who was apparently the leader of this place.

The man glanced at him, stating coldly, "The moment you entered that cage you ceased being a person. Now you are nothing but an unruly pet to be sold to the highest bidder." With that he turned and left the warehouse, followed by Suna. Ichigo felt his anger growing with every step they took. When the door shut behind them with a loud clank his anger peaked. A loud snarl rumbled in his chest and in a moment of fury he kicked the side of the cage viscously. Bad idea. Swears flew from his lips as he held his bruised foot.

"Dammit," he snarled. Once the pain had receded, along with most of his immediate anger, he walked over to the door of the cage to examine its lock. He could pick just about any kind of lock, a skill he'd had to master to become a master thief. He swore loudly. The lock was a combination of a palm scanner and a key card. Without his tools and a way to obtain the required hand print, no doubt the boss', there was no way for him to pick it. He was tempted to kick the door for good measure but thought better of it when his big toe throbbed from its last encounter with the thick steel bars.

"Just give up," said a male voice. There was an echoing clank as the warehouse door closed. Ichigo glared at the man that had just entered. He didn't recognized him from his kidnapping. The man continued, unaffected by Ichigo's fiery eyes, "If you could break out of there do you think we'd put you in there in the first place? We know all about your occupation as a thief and we're not going to take any chances with locks we know you can pick." A shiver ran down Ichigo's spine. They had been following him. How had he not noticed?

He turned away from the door and started pacing the length of the cage, trying to think of another way out. Every couple of laps he shot a glare at the man who was now sitting in a chair watching him. He felt like a caged panther at a zoo. When he got out of here he was going to kick some serious ikimono ass!

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><p>Shiro glared at Aizen weakly from where he lay on the bed, his golden eyes dim from a combination of exhaustion and disgust. Aizen simply watched him while he buttoned a clean white collared shirt. The usual after glow of sex and power swirled lazily in his eyes, but there was something else in those chocolate orbs. As if Aizen were privy to some inside joke Shiro would pay for later. Something was going to happen soon and Shiro had a feeling he wasn't going to like it. Finally, he gave up with his mental guessing game.<p>

"Out with it Aizen, what are ya plannin'?" Shiro asked. His tone was flat and tired, but the iron will behind the words gave them more force. Aizen frowned slightly, only showing as the slight tightening of his eyes, followed by the increased pressure around his windpipe from the tightening of the collar. He felt so shitty already he didn't respond to the abuse.

"That's master to you pet. If you want something its common curtesy to be polite." The pressure subsided and Shiro weakly took in panting breaths. When he got his breath back he laughed bitterly.

"In the time ya've had me imprisoned here when have I ever called you master?" Aizen seemed more amused at that then annoyed. He liked it when his 'pets' had a little fire in them before he forced them into obedience.

"Let's just say soon you will give into me willingly." One last flash of that smug smile and he left the room leaving an unsettled albino collapsed on the soiled sheets.

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><p>Ichigo's ear twitched at the groan of of the warehouse door, naturally trying to swivel to better hear the ominous sound. He stopped his pacing to take in the two men who entered the warehouse.<p>

One of the two was the man he assumed was the leader of his kidnappers, the other man he had never seen before. The newcomer was a handsome man in an expensive suit. He was tall with the air of a proud nobleman. His hair was a rich chestnut brown, its waves pulled back elegantly for one stray curl that hung in his face. His chocolate brown eyes stared at Ichigo in a falsely sweet way. He wasn't fooled. For through this man's elegant presence and kind expression, he could see the hidden intensity in his stare. He'd seen that look before dozens of times when he had tagged along with Urahara on fencing deals. It was the look of someone examining a rare gem, assessing its value, and mentally calculating how much it would cost them. Those were the eyes of a buyer.

The two men casually strolled over to Ichigo's cage, neither looking concerned when he dropped into a slightly more threatening stance, claws growing slightly. These people were not going to get away with selling him without a good fight. He wasn't some cute kitten off the street and he wasn't about to let them treat him as one.

The leader of the group gestured at Ichigo and said, "As per request, one cheetah ikimono. We haven't seen him show enough of his animal spirit to confirm without a doubt that he is indeed a cheetah, but between his occupation as a cat burglar and the traits we've seen so far we're almost one-hundred percent sure he is one. You can always bring him back if he turns out not to be one and are unsatisfied with him."

The brown haired man quirked his lips. "No, if you're that confident the he is indeed a cheetah, then you are correct. Your senses about these things have never been wrong before and I do not doubt them now."

Ichigo was getting more angry with every word. They were talking about him like he wasn't even there! The man in the suit turned his attention back to him and smiled. Ichigo bared his fangs at him. If the man had been within reach, he would have taken a swipe at him.

The buyer spoke, his voice rich and smooth, "He definitely has spirit and the resemblance to the other one is uncanny. You've outdone yourself this time. I' ll come by again tomorrow to pick him up." This was too much. Who the hell did this guy think he was?

"I am not something you can sell and nobody's going to treat me like some pet," Ichigo snapped.

A glint entered the brown haired man's eyes as he replied, "I believe someone just did." Without another glance the two turned and left the warehouse. When the door clanged shut some of Ichigo's anger drained out of him, replaced by a rising sense of panic in the pit of his stomach. The buyer's words replayed in his head, "I'll come by again tomorrow to pick him up." He had until tomorrow to break out of here before he was bought.

_To Be Continued..._


	4. Chapter 3: sold

**A/N: Here's the next chapter as an apology for the supper long updates so far. A big thank you to those of you who review. The support is much appreciated as it helps inspire my writing. ****Enjoy and review~ :D**

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><p><span>Chapter 3: sold<span>

Pairings: ShiroxIchigo, one sided AizenxShiro, one sided AizenxIchigo

Warnings: none

Disclaimer: I own only the plot and Suna, Tite Kubo owns everything else.

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><p>Ichigo started searching for a way out of his prison with renewed energy. He shot another glance at the lock before setting to work scratching at the floor and the bars with his claws. They only left superficial scratches on the metal, nothing deep enough to do any damage. Ichigo walked over to the pile of blankets he had woken up amongst and flopped down on them resigned to his fate. If he couldn't brake himself out, he would have to wait until they opened his cage to give him to the buyer the next day. If that was the case, he was better off conserving his energy than wasting it on fruitless escape attempts. He settled for glaring at the current crony watching him, though the man ignored him in favor of his magazine.<p>

What seemed like hours passed, the only break in the monotony being the turning of the occasional page of the magazine. The door to the warehouse creaked open, then clanked shut. Ichigo's nose twitched as the scent of warm food filled the room, making his stomach growl. He turned his head to follow the direction of the scent and saw a new guard walking toward him carrying a white grease stained McDonalds bag and a bottle of water. Without a word the guard that had been watching Ichigo closed his magazine, stretched, and left giving a nod of acknowledgment to the new guard. The new guard placed the food and water on the floor within reach of the bars, watching Ichigo warily to see if he'd try to jump him. When Ichigo made no move to attack him, he straightened and walked over to the newly vacant chair.

Ichigo stared at the food on the floor in front of him suspiciously. His stomach wined again, begging for food. He ignored the tantalizing scent of a cheeseburger and fries. There was no guarantee the food hadn't been drugged and that was the last thing he needed to be in this situation. He scooted forward to examine the water bottle. It's seal wasn't broken, so it was probably safe. He picked it up and returned to his pile of blankets. He broke the seal with a plastic click and swallowed a couple mouthfuls of the the cold liquid. It soothed his throat, but did nothing to quiet his stomach. It was going to be a long night. He sighed and twisted the cap back on the bottle, placing it on the floor beside him.

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><p>As the hours passed with the changing of the guards Ichigo found it progressively harder to stay awake. The shot of initial adrenaline that had had him on edge and alert had faded with inactivity and with it had brought the dregs of exhaustion. He found himself drifting to sleep only to jerk violently awake at the sounds of a chair scraping the floor or the door opening. In his body's fitful attempt at sleep, memories he had tried to bury over the years but could never fully let go of resurfaced.<p>

It had rained. The water had come down in torrents, washing all the color from the world. Everything was grey: the sky, the buildings, the river. Then everything was red, replacing the grey with pain and loss. Ichigo jerked awake for the hundredth time. His body was tense and light shivers shook him. His hand subconsciously reached up to press against the sweatshirt material that covered the old scar on his chest, waiting for the remembered sting to go away.

Maybe it was the stress of his current situation or the fact that he had met more ikimonos in the past 24 hours than he had in the past 13 years. He had avoided ikimono at all cost after... that. Now he was surrounded by ikimono and the nightmares of his past circled him like hungry beasts waiting for the opportune moment to strike.

"Can't sleep," asked a voice that had Ichigo's fangs bared. He glared at the sandy haired ikimono he had quickly grown to hate. He had been the latest guard on watch duty. Suna's neural look didn't change. "I wouldn't be able to either knowing Aizen was the one who was gonna buy me." The name drew a hiss from the tired red head. There was a long silence.

"Why are you even talking to me," Ichigo growled lowly. None of his other guards had paid him any attention and Suna and he weren't exactly on good terms. The blond raised an eyebrow.

"I'm bored. Conversing with someone is a lot better way of passing the time than staring quietly at a rust covered wall for hours."

"Oh, so you admit I'm a person and yet you seem to have no problem selling me. How can you sell out your own kind," Ichigo snapped the question that had become his mantra over the last couple hours. This time though, the target of his sarcasm dipped rage actually responded.

"Because then it's not me in that cage," Suna said, voice void of emotion, "You'll find that Aizen is a hard man to escape once you catch his eye." That caught Ichigo by surprise. As much as he hated the other man, he couldn't help but feel a little bit of empathy towards his situation. That thought only irritated the red head more. Underneath his scowling tough exterior he had always had a softer side of him with an impulse to help anything that was suffering whether it be a stray cat or a person. Now, however, was not a time where he had the luxury of such impulses. He kept his ever present scowl on his face, but he changed to a new subject.

"What does this Aizen guy want with me anyway," he growled. Suna's expression didn't change but his eyes hardened.

"He wants you as a pet. He sees ikimono as some exotic animal to collect in order to show off his wealth and status, as a small group of people in the richer circles have started doing behind the scenes recently. He asked us to find a cheetah ikimono specifically. See, he has this... habit of trying to collect two of a kind that are also opposites that complement each other. For example, a black panther and a white snow leopard. He thinks this enhances his prestige and shows off contrasting beauty or some bullshit like that. I don't really pay attention to his rantings, but he must have another cheetah or big cat that you would compliment if he specifically requested you." Ichigo was silent, dread starting to replace the burning anger he felt toward the other. If this man had purposely hired people to find him he wouldn't let go once he had him in his grasp. He had to escape before the imposing brunette succeeded in getting him to wherever he planned on taking Ichigo. New determination burned in his eyes, tinged by a slight desperate spark.

"I'm not gonna let that bastard get away with this," Ichigo hissed menacingly. Suna grinned slightly, showing his sharpened canines in the florescent lighting.

"I wish you the best of luck," he said quietly.

* * *

><p>The night passed slowly leaving Ichigo thoroughly exhausted. By the time morning light began to filter in through the grimy windows set at the top of the warehouse walls Ichigo was slouched against the back wall of the cage with dark bags under his eyes, lightly dozing. The bag with his dinner in it sat equally slumped over, cold and forgotten on the cement floor within reach of the cage. The high pitched groan of the warehouse door caused him to jerk awake for the hundredth time, dazed amber eyes quickly darting around him for signs of danger, only this time they didn't land on a new guard taking his shift. The leader of this hell hole entered the warehouse and behind him followed the man he had dreaded all night. Aizen strode forward, confident smirk in place, wearing the same immaculate white suit he had appeared in the day before. Trailing behind him was a blue haired man he hadn't seen before. Ichigo shot to his feet immediately, backing up against the back wall of his cage and hissing in warning. This only seemed to amuse the brunet rather than scare him. Without taking his eyes off the red head, he handed a thick white envelope to the leader.<p>

"That's half. I'll give you the rest when I confirm he is indeed a cheetah ikimono or decide to keep him regardless." The leader nodded and wordlessly handed him a key card in exchange for the envelope. Ichigo noticed he didn't count the money in it in front of the brunette. Aizen in turn held the card up for the blue haired man to take.

"Grimmjow, if you would." At that a murderous grin spread across the man's face, replacing his previously bored expression. He stalked toward the cage door with what could only be called feline grace. This man was an ikimono and he was dangerous. Ichigo hissed again, falling into a defensive pose as multiple escape plans ran through his head. He was a cat and thus was graced with the weapons of sharp teeth and claws, but so was the blue haired ikimono stalking toward him and he was bigger. This wasn't his first time fighting an opponent bigger than him, but he could tell that Grimmjow was highly skilled. Ichigo would have to rely on his speed and agility to get around the other male's brute strength and size. To have any chance of succeeding in escape he would also have to play dirty, something his conscience rejected as cowardly and unfair but his survival instincts snarled was necessary.

Grimmjow slid the key card through the lock and the leader of the ikimono group placed his hand on the palm scanner causing a green light to flare into life and a sharp click. The blue haired man swung the door open and slowly approached the the red head, hands raised. Ichigo immediately threw his plan into action. He lowered his body slightly more in a show of submission, hissing lowly in warning, and forced himself to shake in a show of fear. It worked. The other ikimono's instincts took over, telling him that Ichigo wasn't a threat. The excited grin on the larger man's face dropped to one of disappointment and disgust. He sighed.

"And here I thought I was gonna get a challenge or at least a fight." Ichigo let out another low hiss. Grimmjow rolled his eyes. "Come on now, I'm not gonna hurt ya." The blue haired man closed the distance between them and lowered his hands to grab Ichigo by the shoulders. Ichigo swore he saw Suna standing in the background grinning right before he made his move. The red head grabbed onto Grimmjow's shoulders, using them as leverage to force his knee up into the larger man's groin. He shot around Grimmjow and made a sprint for the door to the cage that was still wide open. Despite his enhanced speed and the advantage of surprise, the leader reacted faster, slamming the cage door just as he reached it, causing Ichigo to smash into it and fall over. He yowled in frustration as he got back to his feet. So close! He had been so close! He glared angrily at the men on the other side of the bars. His attention was brought back to the man that was now locked in the cage with him by a fierce snarl. He whipped around to face the blue haired ikimono.

"I'm gonna kill you, you little shit," Grimmjow yelled, straightening from his bent over position with another snarl. Two rounded white ears were flattened against his head and a long feline tail that was fluffed out in full fury.

"Grimmjow," Aizen's calm voice cut through the tension in the cage like a knife. Grimmjow snarled, arms shaking in the effort to control his anger in order to subdue the orange haired ikimono without killing him. Ichigo crouched into a defensive stance, this time laced with strength instead of fear. He let his sharp white claws slide out, his last defense when he no longer had Zangetsu on him.

The shaking in Grimmjow's limbs subsided and he lunged at the red head. Ichigo used his speed and small body size to his advantage, ducking under his grasp and behind him, leaving a trail of bloody lines across Grimmjow's side in his wake. Grimmjow snarled, immediately turning on the smaller male. Ichigo barely avoided his claws as he jumped above the swipe, grabbing onto the bars that made up the ceiling of the cage and using them to swing himself over the blue haired ikimono's head. He let out a yelp when a hard grip encircled his ankle and roughly yanked on it, forcing Ichigo to lose his grip on the bars. He slammed into the metal floor with an oomf as the breath was knocked out of him.

A second later grimmjow was on him wrestling to restrain the snarling red head. Ichigo yowled as he fought against the larger man, almost managing to slip out of his grasp a couple times and gave Grimmjow several more bloody scratches before he was finally pinned to the floor. He lay on his stomach with Grimmjow sitting on his back holding both of his arms behind his back. He snarled, trying to throw the other off. His snarl turned to a yelp when Grimmjow yanked his arms harshly up his back to the point Ichigo was sure he was going to dislocate them. When he slumped against the cold metal floor again Grimmjow moved his arms back to their former position. Ichigo didn't try to escape again, laying collapsed against the floor panting. He could hear the larger ikimono panting equally hard above him.

There was a sharp click as the door to the cage was unlocked once more. Two sets of shoes tapped on the metal as they approached the restrained ikimono. Ichigo turned his head to see one of the guards and Aizen standing next to him. The guard pulled something out of his pocket and knelt down next to Ichigo. The red head's eyes widened when he realized the object the guard was holding was a syringe. He tried to move away from the man in panic, groaning when Grimmjow gave a warning tug on his arms. The man pulled Ichigo's hoodie away from his neck and slipped the needle into his skin. Ichigo screwed his eyes shut, shuddering at the feeling of the liquid being forced into his veins. The man pulled the needle out and left. Ichigo glared up at Aizen with lethal amber orbs flecked with gold.

"What did you give me," he spat.

A cruel smile crossed Aizen's face as he replied, "Just something to help you relax during the ride to your new home." Ichigo's glare intensified, but a sense of panic was slowly starting to fill him. The three of them stayed there in silence as they settled in to wait for the drug to take affect. Ichigo tried struggling a few more times, only to be stopped each time due to a tug from Grimmjow. Dizziness assaulted Ichigo and his vision began to blur. He closed his eyes as his limbs went limp, whether due to lack of circulation on Grimmjow's part or the drug he couldn't tell. The dizziness soon gave way to a weightless feeling and the panic throbbing in his head soothed to a warm fuzzy feeling. He felt a cool hand brush his heated cheek and then tilt his head up slightly.

"Open your eyes," Aizen's cool voice commanded. Ichigo shook his head slowly, unable to summon the words to tell Aizen to go to hell. Aizen's grip on his jaw tightened bruisingly, making Ichigo wince. He reluctantly opened his eyes, squinting at the sudden brightness that surrounded him. Aizen leaned toward him slightly, eliciting a weak hiss from Ichigo. He could see the hazy reflection of his owlish pupils in the brunette's eyes as he leaned down to examine the read head's. "He's fully under," Aizen said in what seemed like a far off voice.

The heavy weight that Ichigo had grown accustomed to on his back suddenly lifted and his arms were released. Blood began to flow through his limbs once again in painful pumps. He immediately tried to get to his feet, but his arms only succeeded in weakly pushing at the floor. The world spun as strong arms suddenly scooped him up and he found himself being carried out of the cage like a newborn kitten, weak and helpless. He struggled vainly to get out of Grimmjow's arms, hissing softly, but with his jelly limbs and fuzzy head that wasn't going to happen. The now familiar groan of the warehouse door clanged against his ears and he was forced to squeeze his eyes shut against the blinding light that flooded from outside. After a couple steps he was lowered into something dark only to be pulled into another set of arms, ones he did not want to find himself in. A car door slammed, plunging him into soothing dim light. Ichigo hesitantly opened his eyes as the car began to move. He glared up at the man who held him, pushing weakly at his chest in an attempt to get away. This only made Aizen smile.

"Soon we will be at your new home," he said softly, but Ichigo could hear the cruelty underlying those soft words. Not long after that Ichigo succumbed to the dreamlike quality of the drug and allowed the gentle thrumming of the car to lull him to sleep and away from evil billionaires and crazy ikimono fights. Where it was just him and the moon and a target to steal.

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><p><strong>Well, hope you enjoyed it. Can't guarantee when I'll post the next one but hopefully it will be fairly soon. I know what I'm going to write in it, I just have to actually sit down and type it up. Till next time~<strong>


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